A Guide to the Handy Wrench

This is the first of a series of articles describing different types of hand tools. My goal here is to introduce these tools to those who may not be completely familiar with them or their usage. This installment will cover wrenches. Before passing on this article as something for gear heads, consider this. Mechanics already know what is in this article. Everyone sooner or later will have to use a tool for something. A little knowledge about tools will improve the chances of getting the job done without injury and without damaging something.

These handy tools are designed for removing and installing nuts and bolts. As such, they have some built in features that may not be readily apparent to the average user. It probably seems simple enough at first. Place the wrench on the nut or bolt and move the wrench in the appropriate direction. However, there is more to it than that.

First I'd like to describe them a bit and introduce the various flavors of wrenches. These tools come in assorted sizes to fit standard sizes nuts and bolt heads. There are also adjustable versions which I'll cover later in this article. The standard sizes make it possible to get considerable torque on the fasteners. These sizes come in various inch sizes as well as a range of metric sizes. The two standards do not match up, although in a pinch, one can sometimes be substituted for the other.

Under normal circumstances it is important to get the correct size for the job. This will reduce the chances of stripping the fastener or injuring your hand when the wrench slips.

Quality of the tool is important here as well, because poorly manufactured wrenches often fit poorly and wear out very quickly. Those twenty five dollar automobile tool kits sold in stores for emergencies are typical of cheaply made and nearly useless wrenches.

Wrenches come in two basic flavors. Open ended and closed. Each has a specific purpose. The open ended versions are often easier to get on to the nut. They can also slide in from the side when there is not enough room to put the tool over the top of the fastener. In addition open ended wrenches have an angle built into the head. This allows the user to rotate the wrench (along its long axis) after each pull and have the jaws line up with the flat areas of the nut or bolt head. There are times when the amount of room to pull a wrench is very limited and having this ability to rotate the wrench gives you just enough room to continue pulling the wrench. Open ended wrench are not as good for removing very stubborn or tight fasteners as they tend to round the corners of fasteners head.

For this task, the closed end wrench is more suitable. This type of wrench must be slipped over the head of the fastener, but its additional grip area makes it better for high torque situations. Closed end wrenches come in two different variations. They are called eight point and sixteen point wrenches. Think in terms of an octagon and a hexagon. The eight point wrench is less expensive to manufacture and suitable for most tasks involving the turning of nuts or bolts. In fact for high torque applications, they are usually the better choice.

However, having only eight flat sides on the inside of the closed end means that the wrench must travel further to allow repositioning of the wrench for the next turn. Oftentimes, this is impractical. That is where the sixteen point wrench comes into play. Because it has twice as many flat sides if will be easier to fit onto the nut even in tight situations where there isn't a lot of room for moving the wrench.

When it comes to using wrenches. One should always try the preferred method of pulling the wrench rather than pushing it. Think of it like this. If you are pushing a wrench and it slips, you're full body weight is going to carry you forward until some part of you hits something. That part of you is normally your hand. This is where many skinned knuckles come from. When pulling the wrench toward you, you often have more control if the wrench slips.

Another thing to consider is the way the wrench is placed on the nut. This is more important when using open ended wrenches. Remember the angle I mentioned earlier. Well if you look at an open ended wrench and think of the head as part of a curve in the letter "C" and the remainder of the wrench as the other part of the letter, you can visualize a slightly curved tool. This is important when trying to tighten a nut or loosen a tight nut. Ideally, and this is not always possible, you want the curve to be facing in the opposite direction of the pull. This reduces the risk of the wrench slipping.

When either the open or closed type wrench is the same type on both ends of the tool, the sizes are often different. Usually the sizes are next to each other in the standard range of sizes. So for example, a double open ended metric wrench may have a 10mm and 11 mm size heads. There are also combination wrenches that have open ended and closed ended heads on the same tool. In fact, these are the most common type of wrenches available because of their usefulness. These typically have the same size head on both ends of the wrench so the user can flip them end for end depending upon their needs.

So by now, you're probably thinking, "I didn't know there was that much to wrenches". Well, over the years wrenches have evolved into new forms as new ideas are tried. Some of these ideas work and some are more gimmicky than useful. One of the better ideas is the ratcheting wrench. This is a closed end style wrench that has a rotating grip area inside the closed end. This allows the user to simply swing the wrench back and forth to perform its function. Typically there rotate in one direction so to turn them in the opposite direction, you simply flip the wrench over. Others have a little lever than can be moved to change direction. The single direction versions tend to be more reliable.

Adjustable wrenches have been around for along time. These are also known as "monkey wrenches". They typically have a rotating adjustment built into the head of the tool that allows the fastener grip area to be opened or closed to fit different sizes. While this can be handy in certain situations, one should always remember that this tool is not good for high torque situations. When using an adjustable wrench, you should always pull the tool with the moveable part of the jaw on the same side as the direction of the pull. The tool's grip should be as tight as you can get it on the nut. This reduces chances of injury and rounded fasteners.

There are many other specialty wrenches out there, but most are typically only used by professionals for specific situations. They are usually variations on the types already mentioned.

A few final notes about using wrenches. Because of the chance of injury, it is best if you wear protective gloves when using these tools. Never use a wrench that shows signs of cracking. If the fastener grip area is excessively worn, the wrench should be replaced. With wrenches, you get what you pay for, so stick with the quality brands. Cheap knockoffs are a surefire way to frustration and possible injury. If the wrench is chrome plated and the plating is flaking off, then replace the wrench. Getting a piece of chrome stuck in you skin is asking for trouble.

I hope this article has been useful and perhaps you will come away with a new appreciation for these very useful tools.